Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon Episode 5 'We Light the Way' REACTION!!

[@NikkiStevenReact]

HotD ep5 full, unedited watch-a-long REACTION: bit.ly/3BRWMbd We have started season 2 of TLK and the full watch-a-long REACTIONS can be found on our Patreon: bit.ly/3RAYZg4 The Stikker Podcast is back: bit.ly/3BglpxY If you want to keep up with us, the community, the schedule and everything we have going on, join our discord. It's fun and free: discord.com/invite/stikkerfam We stream LIVE on KZbin - LIVE movie reactions and the Stikker Podcast... give it a sub: kzbin.info

[@Ms.Byrd68]

The King is not gonna die just yet. I believe you got most of your review correct when it comes to this situation but remember: Alicent is a STICKLER for *the Rules* and that is why she is _trapped_ in her life! She is not going to gain the Knight's trust by becoming the type of woman that took his HONOR from him! She will gain his loyalty by _giving his honor BACK to him!_ It is impossible for any fan or viewer not to know that this series is about *_The Dance of the Dragons!_* So yes this is all building up to *WAR!*

[@jayson1geek479]

He is hungry for rhaynera

[@ssotkow]

Gotta say, i'm lovin' this show.

[@steeverogers5274]

Rookie female directors are terrible, this episode was boring, terrible acting and writing, very rushed ( they didnt take notes from season 8 ), absence of dragons , royal wedding very dissapointing . miguel the director of battle of the bastards, long night and the first episode of hotd should have directed this bec it is a very important episode , i was very dissapointed.

[@LindsnDarth]

Haven't read the book, don't know what's going to happen BUT... it's Game of Thrones and it's way too early to call anyone a "problem" or say they "need to go", IMO. Most characters are way too complex to know this early if they are good or bad. Alicent could turn out to be a hero. Who would have liked Jaimee Lannister after episode 5 of season 1? Alicent's dad was 100% correct about the risk of her kids being put to the sword. He can't know that Rhaenyra would do that, but it's certainly a risk.

[@CaptainPikeachu]

Ser Harwin Strong is the superior man in all of this, dude shouldered everyone outta the way to protect the Princess just on a simple nod from his father.

[@Sebanovic5]

@@laboom60 delete this don’t spoil things for people

[@cvlzation4741]

@@laboom60 allegedly

[@Cinematicfly_GoT]

Ser Criston Cole is also a beast. He put a hole in the face of joffrey lonmouthst only by punching him.

[@Cinematicfly_GoT]

@@laboom60 Not Aegon and Viserys and delete this comment for spoiling.

[@fromokesar0]

@@laboom60 That is nothing more than a slanderous rumour that questions the Princess’ virtue once again, indicating to me that you are an agent of chaos and thus you must be vanquished!

[@roxy9562]

It’s hilarious how we’re ALL still traumatized by the Red Wedding 😂 I don’t think we’ll ever get over it

[@machinagirl]

I never will. 😂😂

[@NatashaSalgado]

And GRRM isn't helping us to get over that Red Wedding haha

[@NickNificent]

TV Traumatizes you? SHEESH.

[@misterhenchmen]

@@NickNificent yes. yes it does. I feel Roxy's comment! very valid! yiiiiiikes!

[@NatashaSalgado]

@@NickNificent especially when it's in this universe. The weddings we had witness in GoT and now here, always ended up with people dying, whether is by sword or poison. And not only on television but also in the books, so yeah we are traumatized.

[@moellennium]

This episode reinforces two rules in the game of thrones universe, never go to a wedding and never name your kid joffery lol 😆 😄 😂

[@theooo8789]

and specially never ever even consider go to a wedding if your name is Joffrey/Geoffrey lol

[@mori1bund]

@@theooo8789 not even your own wedding! 😂

[@vanessagarciaruiz5536]

Hahahahaha totally

[@soulscyther666]

"never name your kid joffrey" Laenor and Rhaenyra: 👀

[@missa4112]

The fact that every character in the book of this series named "Joffrey" gets horrible death 😅

[@ems7448]

A story told through costuming... before this point, since her marriage Alicent always wore some variation of the Targaryen colors for all public appearances (red and/or black). That she appeared to this feast in the color of her OWN house (green) was very telling of the shift in her loyalties.

[@saranemcova5448]

Funnily, green is not the colour of her house in the books. I always interpreted her green dress as a statement. She does not belong to her husband or her father, she is herself.

[@cmd7930]

Well Rhaenyra did lie to her and Rhaenyra could kill Alicent's sons since they have stronger claims.

[@highelf6086]

The city of Oldtown (related to her house Hightower) hoist the green banners during war, this is deffinately a provocation by alicent

[@MrFredstt]

Indeed. I bet her uncle and other family members were very aware of that too

[@czos9239]

Just looked at the sigil of Hightower, and sure enough it's a lighthouse with a green flame. With everything else mentioned, lots to work with. The change to green was obvious, but good catch on the previous Targaryen colors. Face & color change: "I'm so done with you people."

[@jadwisiastrickland3781]

The thing is Criston had already blown it by telling Alicent abut Rhaenyra. He does not love her, he only cares about his honor and name. He lost it because he realizes that Joffrey knew he had betrayed his ‘white knight’ oath.

[@Angela-bm3lp]

Yes, I agree. I think Joffrey also made him realize how his telling Alicent was a bad decision. I think he's upset with himself and lashed out.

[@Shaesi.]

I agree with you. Ser Criston wanted to marry Rhaenyra to restore his honor and not because he loves her: "I took an oath as a Knight of your Kingsguard. An oath of chastity. I've broken it. I've soiled my white cloak and it's the only thing I have to my f***ing name. I thought if we were married, I might be able to restore it".

[@CuteLilRN]

Yes, I feel like a lot of people miss this! He wanted to marry her because he felt guilty about breaking his oath, not caring about EVERYTHING Rhaenyra would have to give up…. Selfish

[@nothingpenguin7576]

Yes! Thank you! So many people just see it as "oh he's heartbroken, he loves her and she rejected him" he may have had some true affection for her but the thing that made him lose it is his loss of honor

[@aedryk]

These are midwit takes. Criston did love Rhaenyra. This is obvious when you see their interactions especially during the hunt. Rhaenyra also made the first move, one which she knows will put Criston in danger. She isn't ignorant of what a kingsguard's vows are, nor the price of breaking them. He asked her to give up the crown its true, but she was always complaining about it and never happy with any suitors, didnt' want to even marry at all, and Criston was an ear she always used to voice that to. It was shown in the boat scene that he really was surprised that she denied him, and even more surprised that she only had a physical connection with him. Lastly, his concern for his vows and honor is valid, because this is the first moment Rhaenyra has exposed that she doesn't care if Criston's honor is intact, yet she was the cause of it being lost in the first place. Criston may not be right, but his reaction is understandable.

[@keltavuokko]

I think Daemon has been pretty clear actually - he just muddles his intentions behind all this stuff that he pulls on a whim. He has said three things: he wants Rhaenyra, as a hand he would protect his brother (i.e. their family), and with Rhaenyra he would lift their family to its former glory (again, the name of his house/family being what he appreciates). And he was the only one sitting while Alicent arrived in her green dress, which again emphasizes his position about his family name as Alicent made a deal about her own. I think Daemon would be happy being just a king consort through marriage to Rhaenyra, I don't think he necessarily wants the crown itself. And I think he's hoarding castles/glory (inheritance coming from his late wife as the latest example) again to amp up the family name most of all. He sure gets a kick out of causing mayhem, but in the end, I think he has been clear what he is really after.

[@keltavuokko]

Interestingly, Rhaenyra is the only one as strong and bold as Daemon. Which draws him in like a moth to a flame - but at the same time he clearly is playing with that fire and tries to have her without burning his fingers.

[@cbrownjc7633]

Correct on all counts. What people don't understand is that Daemon isn't into subterfuge when it comes to saying what he wants. He makes that sh*t damn clear. What does Daemon want? He's already said it: he wants to be hand and protect his brother, he wants Rhaenrya and he wants to return the House of the Dragon to its former glory. We already know he *hates* going to council meetings, so he would actually find no joy in being King. But King Consort? That would afford him to act as a protector, something he *wants* to be, and it's a job that plays to his strengths. He already knows the ins and outs of Kings Landing and the shady stuff that goes on in Flea Bottom and the like. Daemon is all about being a Targaryen and his Targaryen family. He does not look upon Alicent as part of that. He has respect for the Velaryons because they are of the blood of Old Valyria, as the Targayens are. But Daemon's #1 priorities are and always have been his brother and Rhaenrya. And F anyone outside of that.

[@diamondrattler7453]

Agreed. Team Daemon all the way

[@BernardoPC117]

What I don't get is why would he lie to his brother about what he did with Rhaenyra, that kind of mayhem gets in the way of his own intentions that you mentioned, I like him but he's too emotional and a fool sometimes.

[@mdnblues]

@@keltavuokko The past 5 episodes have shown us like 593920 parallels between Daemon and Rhaenyra. They're basically the same. She's just not a murderer yet.

[@Chuuzus]

every time HBO releases a new House of the dragons episode i always say it’s my favorite episode 😭😭

[@aless8574]

I would love to see your reaction 😭😭

[@paupautube1]

Same here!😄

[@enzonicolas7501]

Me too

[@telenuvem6355]

This episode was stellar 😍🤣😂 Westerosi Avengers: assemble 🗼🧜🏿‍♂️ 🐉 🦁 🦅

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

I think that's because they are getting better and better as all the pieces are falling into places. I rank them 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

[@Harry-fh5lh]

I don't see Daemon poisoning or killing Viserys. From what I have seen so far in the series, Daemon seems to be someone who is impulsive and ruthless but he genuinely seems to care for Viserys and Rhaenyra. He is a great character and Matt Smith only does justice to him.

[@2nd_Directorate]

He is a family man first and foremost.

[@alexjames4770]

Agreed. If Daemon was willing to poison Viserys he would have done it long ago. It’s pretty clear he cares a lot for his family. I think people assume he is ambitious for the Throne, but I think he wouldn’t care either way. All he cares about is returning the house to glory, especially considering the disappointment Viserys, Daemon and Rhaenys must be as the current Targaryen generation, when the previous one had both Jaeherys, arguably the 2nd best king ever behind Aegon I, the DragonKnight, and Balerion.

[@abenthur7306]

They are too busy taking notes and jot actually paying attention to what the characters are literally saying. Daemon would not hurt his family purposefully he cares about them deeply.

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

Yea thinking Daemon would poison his brother is really not understanding the character.

[@aerynsunx]

@@abenthur7306 If you paid enough attention to Nikki & Steven's reactions, you'd know that they like to consider any theories that come up in conversation. Steven, especially, likes to have fun with theory crafting. It doesn't mean that's what he believes. They enjoy talking about the possibilities. What could possibly be wrong with that?

[@Tyrion2024]

Notice how when the wedding finishes, Viserys immediately falls over. It might not be a coincidence. Maybe it was taking all his strength to keep standing throughout the ceremony and as soon as it finished, he finally let himself fall. As they had already established his propensity for falling throughout the episode.

[@Riku-zv5dk]

They're going through a lot of effort to show he is not well. First how unwell he was during the trip to and from Driftmark, where he collapsed at the end, and as soon as the tension rose at the wedding, he became lightheaded, and his nose started to bleed, showing that the sudden stress of the situation put too much strain on him. So twice in one episode he has collapsed, both from being under stress.

[@larochejaquelein3680]

But he still lives however

[@yanavause34]

He died. There's even the sound of his last breath before he fell. I think he's done.

[@polillarammstein353]

@@yanavause34 Watch the ep6 trailer, He lived

[@yanavause34]

@@polillarammstein353 Oh shit ok, I thought he's done 🥵😁

[@dumpsterdawg]

NIkki: "When that weird Uncle comes to the wedding" And stays for the honeymoon

[@jcee8493]

Ew!

[@channelsoup]

People are calling this the Green Wedding and I think that works wonderfully!

[@tahlon8200]

it wasnt a wedding tho, it was just a celebration. It only became a wedding at the end cause of what happened

[@madelinegarber7860]

Lol that’s fitting.

[@bearrowe7902]

The two Dragons seen before the wedding was Princess Rhaenys riding her dragon Meleys, and Prince Laenor riding Seasmoke. Great episode!

[@shuboy05]

I recognized Seasmoke but I completely forgot about Maleys. Laena’s dragon still hasn’t shown yet I see.

[@GreatOldOne9866]

Meleys is beautiful.

[@kurma9575]

@@shuboy05 Laenas dragon is in the next episode

[@shuboy05]

@@kurma9575 Yay! Nice to finally see Vhagar.

[@launabanauna8958]

@@kurma9575 Just wondering how you know that.

[@chasecarmichael8572]

Gonna miss Milly as Rhaenyra and Emily as Alicent. They did such a good job in just the first five episodes, but I’m excited for what’s to come and to see the other performances!

[@nizzleprizzle9783]

I wonder if flashbacks will occur?

[@michaelesteves7653]

@@nizzleprizzle9783 flashbacks never happened in the Game of Thrones series only after Bran acquired his power to see the past..

[@DM-nw5lu]

Michael Esteves There were no such large time jumps in GoT. So idk if it makes sense to go by GoT. Bran's flash backs pertained to events that lay outside the timeframe depicted in the rest of the show. It was pretty linear.

[@aemond6929]

@@michaelesteves7653 Cercei had one

[@michaelesteves7653]

@@DM-nw5lu that makes a lot of sense bro

[@tuilevatuileva2355]

Alicent showing up in green was a signal to her uncle and her house that came to the wedding to be ready for war

[@nightfall902]

Up till now she has always worn the red of the house Targaryen so the change is effective for a couple reasons.

[@nightfall902]

@@Kindred008 As with many things GoT, it's left for the viewer to interpret what is shown. I think the king's initial shock was seeing Alicent in her own colors rather than Targryen colors of the house. Then you have Larys Strong whispering his rumors about battle colors. I think it was Alicent making a personal statement by being intentionally late and wearing green..a simple "Here I am, this is me" moment.

[@miriam8376]

Criston asked Rhaenyra to give up her duty and honor for love but wasn’t willing to do the same. The second the queen asked him for the truth, he unloaded his conscience without any thought of what it would do to Rhaenyra or the realm-as long as he gets to die instead of sticking around for the uglier consequences. And his rage at the end was all about his refusal to occupy the space a gay man had been forced to occupy his whole life without complaining. Criston talked a lot about honor for a guy who didn’t actually have any.

[@lw3106]

You have mistake right in the first sentence. By sleeping with her, he literally lost all his duty and honor.

[@stannetaprospere4301]

Yes! Finally someone sees him for the ass he is. Dude went from "I love you give up everything for me" to enemy of My enemy real quick.

[@naosou921]

@@stannetaprospere4301 I don't really agree that his intention was of betrayal or even remotely as malicious as you and @Miriam are making it out to be. As far as he understood the situation, the queen already knew. He is has literally 0 experience in intrigue and is overall someone fairly innocent. This was less of him "turning on Rhaenyra" and more like "Oh crap, we are caught. Might as well see if I can be given a clean death rather than get tortured". He literally asked for death, not to be forgiven and not to become a spy. And it is not fair to say he "asked Rhaenyra to give up her duty and honor". She had already lost both, same as him, that same night. At least in the eyes of the laws of the realm. At this point they are both just pretending, what he asked her to do was to give up the pretense. He is far from innocent or blameless, but he was hardly malicious in his actions. At the end of the day he was just as flawed as everyone although he was evidently regretful and trying to find some way, some path, to somehow redeem his lost honor.

[@Munchkin895]

The Rise of Sir Incel

[@vvthetalentlessduo6976]

O

[@alexjames4770]

I understand Cole requesting death seems shocking, but honestly, Viserys considered disowning and disavowing Rhaenyra just bc she MIGHT have lost her virginity. Imagine what he would do to a common born knight who TOOK it. We know how it ends at least, in the words of the great Tyrion Lannister- “Heads. Spikes. Walls.”

[@Hellstennn9237]

25:30 The red dragon was princess Rhaenys's dragon named Meleys and the other one was Laenor's dragon Seasmoke which we saw in episode 3 during the fight against the crabfeeder.

[@benguensche]

in other news, the sky is blue and the king is named targaryen... you're welcome

[@havok6280]

"You ride dragons; you can't ride on a ship?" That's part of the problem. Viserys doesn't ride a dragon. His dragon is dead and according to him, he didn't particularly like riding. Just another sign of his weakness. Rhaenys, Daemon, Rhaenrya and even Laenor seem to thoroughly enjoy being on dragon back.

[@terimaakigaand5857]

He is scared of dragons and thinks they never should've domesticated these beasts.

[@mannylugz5872]

Rhaenys would have been a better ruler. But the idyot ppl of Westeros chose Viserys just because he have a penis.

[@VictoriaTraducciones]

And Laena will be riding Vhagar next episode

[@GreatOldOne9866]

@@VictoriaTraducciones tmi, if it hasn’t aired in the show yet, it counts as a spoiler even if it isn’t a spoiler. I hope they don’t see your comment.

[@VictoriaTraducciones]

@@GreatOldOne9866 dude, it's in the promo 😂

[@colleenabood8775]

Crispin Cole told Rhanera that he thought if they got married he could restore his honor.... he doesn't love her, he only cared about his own honor

[@Yali_]

First the Red Wedding, then the Purple Wedding, and now the Green Wedding. We really are making our way through the colours of the rainbow 😂

[@PeaceLoveMusic75]

And young Sir Leanor V wishes he could have an actually rainbow 🏳️‍🌈 wedding lol. Poor dude I felt so bad for him losing his love 😢. It is nice he and Raenerya get along well and said they would do their duty but love who they want after.

[@filmfangirls9163]

Was Tyrion and Sansas wedding considered the Gold Wedding? At least no blood shed happened there lol

[@abenthur7306]

@@ieradossantos go away bigot

[@morisakarleign3014]

@@PeaceLoveMusic75 I was thinkiiing. I was way more invested in Rhaenyra+ Laenor's nice wedding contract then Laenor's lover is taken. And Joffrey seems like a loyal paramour intent on being on their side, sad Crispin ruined it all 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@stephenpodeschi6052]

This was a really good tense medieval court intrigue episode

[@mannylugz5872]

True. Wedding without even wiping out the blood off the floor.

[@launabanauna8958]

@@mannylugz5872 I know right?! Eww…

[@vvthetalentlessduo6976]

O

[@anonymouswhatever4987]

Remember, its not just only that Rhaenyra lied about that night to Alicent on her face, but she actually used that lie as a maneuver to get otto out of the picture. From alicents pov, Rhaenyra is already starting to weed out the obstacles on her way to get the throne confirming what her father already told her. So, in her mind, her adversity to Rhaenyra is justified.

[@CaptainPikeachu]

Alicent should be more cognizant that her own father is using her to weed Rhaenyra out of the way - he literally planted Alicent in Viserys’ bed, had her lie for months to her friend - it’s sad that Alicent still holds onto her vile father

[@anonymouswhatever4987]

@@CaptainPikeachu i know. But she landed in that position due to no fault of her own. Its now just her or rhaenyra so she is choosing herself over Rhaenyra. I think she's justified in her own way is all i am sayin.

[@anonymouswhatever4987]

Also, i like how we started this show clearly rooting for rhaenyra and it was gonna be like the blacks are the good guys and the greens are gonna be the opposition. Now things are a bit ambiguous (at least for me) especially after what Rhaenyra did to ser crispin. It's more of a cap vs Ironman style civil war now, where you can choose a side but that doesn't mean you're right.

[@animeisthewayhaha]

Well actually from what we saw, she didn’t lie because she didn’t sleep with Daemon, she slept with Cole. That whole conversation she had was in regards to her actions with her uncle. Only thing she lied about was saying he never touched her. In that conversation she never said that she remained a maiden, only that Daemon never took it

[@animeisthewayhaha]

@@anonymouswhatever4987 mmmm I lost sympathy with Cole when he bashed an innocent mans head in 💀

[@emilywatchesmovies]

Appreciate your late night editing Steven!

[@NikkiStevenReact]

Anything for this community. Appreciate the comment Emily.

[@larochejaquelein3680]

@@NikkiStevenReact Stop reading the comments, there are book spoilers everywhere

[@ieradossantos]

You are telling them to not interact with their fans. That is how stupid we've become out here

[@abenthur7306]

@@larochejaquelein3680 yeah the mods do a poor job on the video discussions I've ended up reading multiple HUGE book spoilers and its kinds deflated the show a lot for me....

[@abenthur7306]

@Maya Nightwolf it's been a problem since the episode 1 video unfortunately. The live chats the next day have also had people coming in posting big spoilers.

[@Indiana_Minotaur]

House Velaryon had the best Theme entrance in this episode. So much goddamn swagger lol

[@beautifulbluebell2037]

A few observations which you might want to keep in mind going forward: Daemon asked Alicent`s favor in the tourney in the first episode. For us, the viewers, it is clear that he only wanted to put her father in place even after beating Otto´s son in the tournament. But it might not have been obvious to Alicent. She might have thought that Daemon has chosen her for herself. After all she is a very young sheltered girl at that point in time and Daemon is a dashing knight. Another important dynamic is that between Daemon and Otto. Daemon sees through Otto´s manipulations of the king. He always has. The king is not as easy to manipulate with Daemon around. Daemon is a huge force to recon with. He is not only a wild card in the sense that Otto can never guess what he will do next but who Otto can´t control or manipulate but also a wild card with the second largest dragon there is alive. That might be the origin of Otto´s hatred of Daemon. Otto tried to put a wedge in Viseray´s and Daemon´s relationship for a long time now. But he accelerates this massively after Aemma´s death. He needs Daemon to be as far away from the king as possible or his plans regarding his own ambitions via Allicent would never work. We as viewers never see Daemon say "Heir for a day." nor does he ever admit to it. We only have Otto´s word for it. And Visarys falls for it due to his grief and the guilt he feels for his own role in Aemma´s death. He banishes Daemon leaving himself much more vulnerable to Otto´s plans. The same is true for Raeneyra´s relationship with Daemon. Her chance of being able to successfully claim the throne and to keep it after Visarys death would be also much greater with Daemon next to her. At this point in time there aren´t many people around with battle experience as Rhaenyra points out in episode 1. After episode 3 Daemon is one of few who has that experience. Let´s use Allicent´s later episode question for this situation. Would the Trageryans´ and Rhaenyra´s claim to the throne be stronger with Daemon close by or him being at odds with his family and far away? Who would profit from them being divided? I would also like to point out that the image we have of Daemon from the start is formed by the words Otto chooses to describe Daemon´s actions with to the king. Those words are chosen carefully by Otto to further his agenda to divide the brothers for his own benefit. We also see how much Viserys´ view of Daemon is influenced by whatever view Otto presents him about Daemon. Daemon himself is mostly taciturn. Since we as an audience are unfortunately used to characters and their motivations being explained to us in most shows and Daemon simply doesn´t explain himself we take Otto´s words as truth. We are as much manipulated by Otto in our understanding of Daemon as the king is. The only honest uninfluenced insight we have in Daemon as an audience are his actions and the conversations he has with his family who he loves. He is very honest and clear about his feelings, thoughts, motivations with them especially with Rhaenyra. Daemon expresses his disappointment at having been replaced as a heir to Viserys in the first episode but that might have been only due to him automatically assuming he would be the heir. Everyone else assumed the same. It doesn´t necessarily mean he wanted to become king just that he felt valued by his brother by being his apparent heir. He feels hurt that Viserys never asked him to be his hand either. He says as much in the same argument to the king. At any time after episode 1, probably even before that, he could have taken the throne by force. He could have harmed Viserys. He never does anything to harm his family. He just wants to feel being valued. I just realized something writing this. No one is ever (good) enough for Viserys, not Aemma for not giving him sons, not Rhaenyra for not being a son and certainly not Daemon despite him reforming/bettering the city watch and probably doing all the tasks his brother entrusted him with to the best of his abilities. All 3 people closest to Viserys say this individually in the 1st episode. Daemon expressed to want the following: - To become the hand - To be close to his family (being loved and valued by them) - To marry Rhaenyra - To restore the house Targaryen to its proper glory together with Rhaenyra. Not necessarily with himself as king. (He views Viserys as weak) Daemon´s tried to accomplish 4 things in episode 4: a) He wants to show Rhaenyra that a marriage/relations between men and women don´t have to be the way she imagines them to be. That there can be more to both. That sex can be a pleasure too not a death sentence as she sees it. And that a marriage doesn´t have to be a cage but it rather might give her a freedom she wishes so much for herself. Those are the worries she shares with him earlier. He is the only one she can talk to about her thoughts and being taken seriously. b) He wants to show Rhaenyra the view of the common people about her as a heir and teach her that for her to be able to become queen she needs them on her side. Otto´s and consequently Viserys´ judgement of Daemon´s actions in episode 4, wanting the throne for himself, are misleading. Otto´s single minded focus on having his family on the throne influences his view of everyone else, especially Daemon. He assumes everyone wants the same as he does. c) He wants to marry Rhaenyra because he loves her. And second to that to marry her because them together can strengthen the Targaryens. He wanted people to see and recognize him and Rhaenyra and word of them being in the pleasure den together reaching the king to create a situation in which Viserys has to wed Rhaenyra to him. He values Rhaenyra too much to deflower her in a brothel. That is the reason he stopped. It´s about appearance as Viserys keeps saying during the episode. He sees himself and Raenyra as very simmilar (Viserys says the same) and strong together. Each episode likes to draw comparisons between different things. Episode 3 with the hunt showed Raenyra and Daemon being the strong ones with both of them killing their foes (bloody faces) and Viserys not being able to even kill a trapped deer in comparison. It is not accidental that Daemon and Raenyra both speak Valyrian with each other from the begining. It´s like their secret language which no one except them understands. Their conversations are honest, intimate. They see each other for who they are and love each other for that. They give each other the love, admiration, respect, value that no one other in the whole world gives them. In episode 2 both them feel not being seen and pushed aside, not seen and listened to by Viserys. That leads to the scene on the bridge with the egg. In that situation both give each other respect and both of them feel seen and valued by the other. d) He wanted to out Otto´s manipulations to Visarys and make him do the right thing aka dismiss his hand to strengthen the Targaryan side of the upcoming conflict. His old flame the White Worm even sells Otto the information. (She even meets the little boy in front of Daemon.) He looks specifically at Otto when he kneels in front of the king and Raenyra finishes Otto off at the end of the episode. In the end he accomplishes 3 of his 4 goals. Additionally I think that one of the comparisons in episode 5 was Criston asking Rhaenyra to run away with him and Rhaenyra telling Daemon to fight through the Kingsguard, take her to Dragonstone and make her his wife.

[@jebaneso]

wow definitely saved, nailed it

[@beautifulbluebell2037]

@@jebaneso Thank you so much! I have posted my thoughts on episode 7 in the comments. I would love to know your opinion on them.

[@jebaneso]

@@beautifulbluebell2037 Sure thing! I'll read it as soon as I watch the episode, you are amazing btw!

[@NewscorpPhoneHackingDepartment]

brilliant analysis

[@deusa_maah]

Amazing analysis! I'm very saddened that when I first watched this reaction I didn't see it in the comments section. I really like the way Game of Thrones whole thing works, but I think there should be more explicit things here and there. It's nice to wonder about stuff and too much exposition can be very bad, but I think some things could've been clearer since we see already have to understand a lot of unspoken things with the timeskips happening.

[@Cadinho93]

That wedding sequence was fantastic. So many players in one room all exchanging looks with double meanings. In typical "Game of Thrones" wedding traditions you expect something terrible to happen and Ser Criston Cole sure provided it.

[@jmchez]

The "Green" Wedding it is.

[@Thrashifice]

Except for the fact this wasn't the wedding. It only turned into a wedding after the shit went down.

[@madelinegarber7860]

He sure did. We knew it was just a matter of time. The thing is on the surface Joffry’s proposal was a reasonable one. Keep the secrets of the ones we love and don’t go spreading rumors. But Kristin didn’t like his pride and honor being poked at like that.

[@vadalia3860]

I don't feel sorry for Cole being turned down with his "let's run away together" speech. He knew who Rhaenyra was when they started their affair & I can't help but think it's only because she's a woman who, according to Westerosi norms, shouldn't be worried about claiming the throne & ruling the kingdom that he thought she'd be okay with running away with him. If you make a proposal like that to your romantic partner where, in even making the proposal, you've already ignored everything about who your partner is- you don't get to be hurt when they make the obvious choice & turn you down.

[@ghadjones]

Exactly! He don't see the bigger picture and wants her to drop everything for him to live broke and happy. He could do the same thing as his consort and nobody could say shit about it

[@mannylugz5872]

He's either drunk with love, or an idiot. He's a kingsguard who broke his vow. Then he wants to elope with Rhaenyria. He wont last a week before Viserys' army finds him and execute him for treason. He seems to be more concerned with his honor than the reality of the impossiblity of his dream.

[@mdnblues]

@@Mario-qo9cd Rhaenyra was clearly drunk and horny in that scene. Pretty sure she wouldn't have cut off his head if he actually refused her. But he didn't. He saw a drunk princess and used her. She used him too - but he's an adult, she's not.

[@Nostalgic90s765]

He also couldn't really say "no" to the affair either. It was an abuse of power on Rhaenyra's part. She didn't give any consideration to what that would do to his life.

[@savannah_claus_cats]

When Cole was talking about how he thought getting married would give him his honor back it reminded me of Robb Stark marrying Jeyne Westerling.

[@acciowilltolive6427]

larys:”do you know what colour it glows” harwin:”green” steven:”oh!😟” nikki:*aggressively takes notes* 😭😭

[@machinagirl]

I really liked Milly. I’m going to miss her. She was so damn good. Her chemistry between her and Matt was insane. Great actors. I couldn’t wait for this episode. We all know shit goes down during a wedding in the Game of Thrones universe. Lol. Always a wild death scene. Ahhh man, the tension buildup during the dancing scene, yikes!!!

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

I wished they would have kept both actresses

[@larochejaquelein3680]

Now Rhaenyra‘s sad and tragic ending will not have much of an impact on the viewer because Milly is gone and replaced by a stranger 😑 Who thought it was a good idea to replace her?? Just deAge her a bit and it would be fine! No one would have complained

[@harsh_1910]

@@johnnyskinwalker4095 so they would be younger than their kid lol what are you talking about literally only a few lines and emma and olivia seems like they fit the roles so much better

[@ststuna911]

Rhaeneyra Targaryen is in her mid to late thirties at the start of the dance of dragons which will be the bulk of the HOTD story. As much as everyone loved Milly, there is no way she could pull off playing a woman in her late thirties, she literally looks like a teenager. If they just decided to age her up using makeup or technology it would just look weird. Also have to remember that Emma Darcy was cast first, and then Milly was cast to play her younger self.

[@harsh_1910]

@@larochejaquelein3680 lol you're unhinged, de age her a bit you say lol her son has to be 16-18 they can't deage her and alicent's son is supposed to be in his twenties

[@kellifranklin9872]

Daemon still remains my favorite character. I’m invested in his storyline and I cannot wait to see what he’s going to do next.

[@TheManOnTheStreetOMG]

The acting is on another level, all the emotions portrayed through simple facial expressions. Allicent's realisation that her friend betrayed her trust when Criston confessed *chefs kiss*

[@jinks8871]

idk if it's just me but....i felt bad for criston UNTIL he said "i thought if we were married i'd be able to get it bacl" meaning he's holding so much guilt for breaking his oath that he expected her to abandon her entire life, title, and throne to fix HIS mistake. i just can't root for that, because i dont believe he was really asking her out of love.

[@QueenOfTheZombieApocalypse]

Not the only one at all. That was when I soured on him too. Before then I could have accepted he was just naive but that made it clear he didn’t see her as the heir to the throne but as “just a woman”

[@kpopbisdak8398]

When Otto told Alicent of the big possibility that Rhaenyra would kill off all her children, so that no one would be a challenge her to the throne triggered Alicent... I think that is her motivation to be a major player to the game of thrones.

[@ben1ben2ben1]

Which is stupid of her. She just put her children in WAY more danger declaring war

[@rolynik]

Allicent has had a misplaced loyalty to Rhaenyra, defending her at every turn, even against her Father. After Christins confession Allicent now sees Rhaenyra has only ever been about herself.

[@Rizz779]

@@ben1ben2ben1 it was the only way to protect their lives and position

[@abenthur7306]

@@rolynik yeah alicents father is totally innocent and not a traitor /eyreroll

[@rolynik]

@@abenthur7306 i actually equate Otto with Varys from GOT, he always said he served and was loyal to the realm and not any King or Queen. Otto has always seen that without a legitimate male heir to the throne that Viserys had not been able to provide, that the realm was at the risk of descending into War. Was he self serving in pushing his own daughter forward as the one to provide that male heir?..yes.. but as Viserys said himself, you could say that about pretty much everyone close to the throne. Otto is self serving, but not traitorous.. he still wanted to see a Targyrean on the throne, and one that he knew the Lords of Westeros would accept.

[@WatashiMachineFullCycle]

Poor Laenor's wailing at the sight of Joffrey still gets me misty eyed and I've seen this episode like ten times now 🥺

[@jomamasophat8973]

Not gonna lie, watching this the day after the show to process everything with you guys is like spending time with best friends. Love you guys! Thanks for being cool as hell.

[@Serryy]

Viserys: "Im going to throw a week long of festivities, the biggest wedding the realm has ever seen, so thats what people will remember of me if nothing else. Its gonna be great" Daemon, Alicent, Criston: "Allow us to introduce ourselves" The fucking three stooges, i swear to the gods.

[@chrisleneil]

Perfect description

[@morisakarleign3014]

Stooges 😭

[@TheGuyCalledX]

The tea was from Viserys. The point of that scene last episode was to show that to Viserys it doesn't matter what the truth is, but rather the bad optics. Her actually getting pregnant would be even worse optics

[@nightfall902]

Where did Larys Strong get that tea information he so nicely shares with Alicent?

[@Ri_Shin_Marco]

@@nightfall902 Remember Little Finger? Well here you could say you saw the original.

[@nightfall902]

@@Ri_Shin_Marco sometimes we ask a question to call attention :)

[@abenthur7306]

I am absolutely puzzled why they kept thinking the tea was from someone else.

[@launabanauna8958]

Hence the shot gun wedding, I’m guessing, before Rhaenyra starts to show.

[@andreachilton6037]

The rat feasting on the blood is a great metaphor... These powerful people are surrounded by rats waiting to feast upon them...

[@mbrooks1991]

Fun fact the actress that plays the older version of Alicent (Olivia Cooke) did mention in a interview that she auditioned for the part using Cersei lines from GoT.

[@elizabethhandy5367]

Do you know which lines?

[@marshwalker8322]

The fact Nikki managed to miss that gore shot.. it's too perfect.

[@thomodachi]

GoT is back baby! all the characters are so interesting and they have their own motives but its unclear what they would do next and it keeps you guessing what will happen. All the while, what is actually unraveling isn't what we are expecting at all. This is great storytelling and always keep you on the edge of your seat!

[@fabian5813]

39:15 “And Not Being At The Wedding” Alicent WAS At The Wedding, She Was Standing In Front Of The King And We See Her First Bend Down To Help Him When He Collapses

[@Tomyohann]

I like how they leave little hints as to where this story will lead to. As a book reader, I already know the ending but it's exciting to see how you guys react to events and figure it out yourself. This episode, as the others, was so well done.

[@Thrashifice]

You don't need to be a book reader to know the ending, If you watched Game Of Thrones you should know. The fates of people were talked about. Specifically the princess.....

[@Tomyohann]

@@Thrashifice what I meant by ending was just the sequence of events that follow this for all the main characters, not just what happened to Rhaenyra at the end of the story. I'm sorry about that.

[@MrSale1983]

This are not a little hints, it is very obvious where the plot is going. This is well known storyline, that is way it is bad to write about known stories, there are little if any surprises.

[@Tomyohann]

@@MrSale1983 I'm not talking about myself, other book readers, watchers of the lore KZbin videos, or those who remember Joffrey talking about the ending in GOT. I'm specifically referring to these reactors and their thoughts after each episode. I wasn't talking about you.

[@MrSale1983]

@@Tomyohann And again, even for new viewers, these are not small hints. We clearly see in which direction the plot is moving. There are no big surprises and suspense. The story isn't too bad, but it's predictable and has a few plot holes.

[@Denz2799]

"I was crossing out Ser Joffrey's name." 😂

[@coqueslammwell6198]

The king stopped riding dragons when he was young, FYI. The last dragon he rode was Balerion the Black Dread, Aegon the Conqueror's dragon.

[@niallnochill]

The moment the King stopped his speech, the audience turned their heads, I was like... what? who is it? what's happening and BAM! Alicent standing there had my jaw on the floor... I literally said to myself, Oh, she's here to play the game and I got shivers. Such a powerful moment for her character, walking to the main table, all in green, interrupting the Kings' speech. It was from that moment my nerves started to rise as I knew this wedding was going to be a tense affair!

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

I thought Daemon had my favorite entrance but this beat it. lol

[@niallnochill]

@@johnnyskinwalker4095 truly, daemon was really outshone by Alicent and props to her! She really made the world stop

[@harsh_1910]

@@niallnochill she carried the episode, I was wierdes out that rhae and laenor's marriage ep is called we light the way rather than the old, true and the brave but after seeing her be the star of the ep I'm down

[@Lilah1848]

@@niallnochill Alicent has no reason to be mad at Rhae. She's a hypocrite.

[@ststuna911]

@@Lilah1848 Lol are you sure about that? She literally lied to her face, and got her father fired. If Rhaeneyra can be angry at Alicent for going behind her back and seducing the king, than Alicent also has every right to be mad at someone she considered her friend if they are lying and being deceitful.

[@kevinhansen8211]

The man who talked to Alicent was Larys "the Clubfoot" Strong. He uses his physical issues to get in close so he can collect information on people, we saw that in episode three, and we finally saw him use it, here.

[@musicsoul4037]

he is the master of whispers in the small council.

[@alienanxiety]

I thought Pete Buttigieg did a great job in the role!

[@manuelluna4318]

He's the littlefinger role

[@eurongreyjoy1008]

@@mst3KGf bcs he doesnt have one imao. we dont know yet what littlefinger rly wants

[@rawkmode6315]

The wedding was the most tension I think I've ever seen portrayed on screen. That entire thing just went on and on with so many different ways it could go wrong...only for the surprise fight between Cristin and Joffrey to be the thing that kicks it off.

[@SeeFair23]

Alicent WAS AT THE WEDDING! She’s standing by Viserys.

[@aaronia8092]

Yes, I guess the scene at the godswood supposedly happened before the wedding, just after the whole ordeal.

[@Angela-bm3lp]

Yes, that editing was slightly confusing. I understand why they did it but my brain went straight to both things happening at the same time.

[@Jennifer_Layne]

Let me just say this episode has me planted FIRMLY on Team Rhaenyra. I understand Alicent felt betrayed that Rhaenyra lied to her, but I think Alicent’s new icy persona stems from jealousy more than anything. She’s pissed because Rhaenyra was given some good ol Vitamin D, while she’s stuck with taking the long expired stuff. Go Team Rhaenyra. Also the most hilarious scene was Rhaenyra and Laenor discussing their preferences for eating Duck and goose.

[@cmd7930]

Rhaenyra lied to her on her mother's memory. Alicent supported Rhaenyra to the king and Alicent's father then got fired. Rhaenyra is a great threat to Alicent's son since they have stronger claim and are favored by small folk and lords. Go team Alicent!

[@oaftendencies4497]

Rhaenyra is selfish and does as she pleases with disregard for other people. Not fit to be a queen. Alicent had her back and she lied directly to her face on her dead mothers memory in front of a godly tree.

[@Angela-bm3lp]

Alicent lost any justification for trust as soon as she began seducing the king behind Rhaenyra's back, and then having children with the express intention of taking the throne from Rhaenyra.

[@eternallyg]

@@Angela-bm3lp y’all literally Jsut make stuff up in your head. Alicent was FORCED to flirt with the king by her dad then FORCED not to tell by the king who is also rhaes dad. Like gtfoh you know damn well rhaenrya wouldn’t have told alicent either if she was in that situation at FOURTEEN! Rhaenrya literally lied about being with her uncle as a grown woman when shit hit the fan so you’re a fool if u think she would tell alicent her dad is making her flirt with her dad

[@cosmindobrin7658]

It's interesting from the perspective of someone who read the book to see you guys putting some things together and guessing some things, assuming some other (obviously I won't say which) but I surely enjoy watching it. Good job!

[@nightfall902]

So hard not to comment after reading the book.

[@rafaelhenrique4139]

I can only imagine that people that don't like Daemon, can't be enjoying the show as much as the rest of us lmao

[@marti9734]

Me Im here... I dont like him much at all but Im still enjoying the show lol

[@rafaelhenrique4139]

@@marti9734 hey, I'm not saying that you can't enjoy the show, just that we are probably enjoying it more 😂

[@E001-f8g]

Yup And who would hate Damon expect For some cringe people with sensitive feelings .....

[@larochejaquelein3680]

Daemon is probably the most honourable man in House of the Dragon, seriously. Soon everyone will respect him for what he truly is

[@harsh_1910]

@@larochejaquelein3680 spoilers fire and blood for what child murder and kinslaying lol daemon fans are unhinged

[@crystall.411]

daemon: *shows up late* alicent: *shows up later* daemon: *sits when she comes in* “and I took that personally”

[@striker9474]

Just this show is going great ep by ep 🔥🔥

[@NikkiStevenReact]

It’s really good

[@damaris3703]

Y’all also have to remember that alicent's kids also grow up. So with the way alicent's going, those kids could also be a problem as well

[@jmboyd65]

"If Daemon's not talking, fuckin' hide." Excellent perception, Steve!

[@haileylewis3919]

I laughed so hard when he said that😂 Because it’s true.

[@Rknowles813]

Literally just finished the episode and saw this uploaded. OMG. What a episode

[@kamalkrishna8125]

Rightly said.. If Daemon's not talking.. fucking hide.

[@yesse871]

I don’t think Criston Cole really loved Rhaenyra. He offered her to get married just to ease his guilt. He said it himself…

[@abenthur7306]

You are really bad at paying attention if you think that.

[@yesse871]

Just listen at what he says in the minute 20:42… Last episode I thought he was in love with her but after this one I don't think that at all. Criston probably had a little crush on Rhaenyra so he agreed to sleep with her. But after she turns down his proposal to runaway, all of his responses are just about how he has dishonored himself, not about her loving someone else or not being able to love him enough. His honour and virtue as a knight, as a Kingsguard is by far the most important thing to him. Criston feels he has already ruined that by breaking his chastity vow but if he leaves his duty to the realm with Rhaenyra maybe he can become an honourable husband instead. When Rhaenyra turns him down, Criston thinks he has no way to redeem himself which is why hes suicidal for the rest of the episode. That’s my opinion….

[@stevesmith4600]

When Alicent entered the wedding in Green, the song playing was the theme song of The Sept, which was last played in GoT S6E10 when Cercei blew up the sept with green wild fire.

[@terripring5114]

I noticed that too! It was such a genius call back to an amazing piece of music. So perfect for the moment.

[@wellknown1204]

Bad Bitch wears green💚🤌

[@Sam_Martyn]

you upload at the perfect time honestly on fire with this schedule!

[@NikkiStevenReact]

Appreciate it Sam

[@tonyyul703]

@@NikkiStevenReact you guys should really watch the History and Lore videos of Game of Thrones because they actually cover what will happen..... It will give you a DEEPER understanding of GAME OF THRONES

[@tonyyul703]

@@NikkiStevenReact keep in mind there are TWO colored DRAGONS the GOLD DRAGON 🐉 under a green field (HIGHTOWER AND AEGON her Son) and AGEON TARGARYEN'S RED DRAGON AND BLACK........

[@meingott717]

Otto’s speech to Alicent before he left was his “In the game of thrones, you win or you die” moment.

[@meg_beardemphl]

Always love your reactions! But I do want to clarify like some have said in the comments, Daemon's true motives center around his feelings for Rhaenyra and those he loves. This episode shows the throne was never what he was truly after, maybe for a moment he considered the power of it all, but he ultimately wants Rhaenyra because he loves her, his feelings emphasized in 1x04 when he couldn't take her virtue (despite his initial motive of upsetting his brother, making it known Rhaenyra and him were seen together in the brothel and corrupting her virtue thus forcing Viserys to wed her to him) that plan got thrown out the window when he realized just how much she truly meant to him and that her feelings were reciprocated as equally as those he hard for her, scaring him for a moment and prompting him to leave her at the brothel because he didn't want to shame her like that. If it was solely power that he was after he wouldn't have taken Rhaenyra's own feelings into consideration, another reason he asks her in 1x05 if her marriage to her cousin is what she really wants. Him binge-drinking and being hungover the morning after was a way he coped with those feelings of wanting a woman he isn't supposed to want but does nonetheless. He could've abandoned Rhaenyra for some whore like she says in 1x04 but he didn't. And him not admitting to Viserys that Rhaenyra and him didn't sleep together, yet still wanting Viserys to wed them together when he says "I'll take her as she is" touched on Daemon and Rhaenyra's earlier conversation in 1x04 about marriage and Rhaenyra's standpoint on not wanting to marry or be subjected to the possibility of dying in childbirth like her mother, which I believe Daemon also recognized was a way he could protect her and keep her safe, not force things on her that she doesn't desire, to truly accept and love her for who she is, not what the realm expects her to become. I mean this man killed his wife and showed up to a wedding he was banished to, solely focused on Rhaenyra the whole time finding an excuse to get on the dance floor with her and speak to her, and was ready to take her away to Dragonstone and wed her right after she tells him to do so as he practically loses control of his feelings for her and is about to kiss her right in the middle of the entire crowd and Rhaenyra's betrothed. If that's not a man in love then I don't know what is.

[@laurafekecova6009]

This !

[@garlantyrell6368]

Fun fact: The episode title, “We Light the Way” are actually the house words of House Hightower, which was a main focus in this episode.

[@kanthonyship511]

What I love about Fire and Blood is that the characters in those books are all grey characters. Everything they do will have you questioning their choices and what led them to there unlike Game of Thrones where it was always set up as Starks= Good Lannister=Bad. I think House of the Dragon really does a good job on showing the humanity but also the most vile and unhumane parts of someone

[@crewchief5144]

lol...your "F*** OFF!" was awesome. Why I love you two.

[@secondeye1574]

Yes, Alicent has been wearing red ever since marrying the king -- a Targareyan color. This episode she has chosen her roots

[@kobarsos82]

Regarding Daemon and his late lady wife, at least when it comes to the scene showed in the show, he reeked of dragon (as the riders often do) in that scene and the horse was terrified by that smell. Hence the accident happened and she fell off breaking her spine. He did of course finish her off afterwards, this marriage obviously had no upsides for him and it was to his benefit after all, but if you think about it, she was paralyzed and useless from that point after this accident. It was unfortunate but the sad truth. So if you see this from another perspective it was also merciful by a certain light.

[@joshgamez8852]

I love how Daemon just gives 0 craps and literally goes to flirt with Rhaenyra at her wedding 😂

[@nightfall902]

Seemed mutual.

[@joshgamez8852]

@@nightfall902 indeed it was

[@-6ix559]

She’s lucky she looked down when they showed the shot of Joffrey’s face 😭 such a graphic image

[@danielanton98]

Alicent was at the wedding, she tries to catch Viserys when he falls

[@turboklanias9626]

This is peak Game of Thrones here, secrets getting unveiled, weddings getting bloody, king getting really sick, future storylines are set and the music oh god. Ramin did it again! Alicent's and Criston's actors really did an amazing job. MIlly was already lit!

[@REChronic54]

I understand that Crispin is upset that he’s seen as side business but blaming Rhaenyra for him breaking his oath is red flag behavior. “ _You_ can marry me. Our marriage can restore my honor.” And the fact that he beat someone to death because he’s upset about the whole situation. Like this man is almost like a ticking time bomb.

[@MonaLisa-we4kw]

This episode always leaves me speechless, it's so much at once, HOTD does a great job of working on a lot of things in one episode, and not getting rushed.

[@KerryFP]

Wow, you're always the first to post your reaction for this show. Thank you so much. I really like how the show is pulling all this together. The book didn't reveal everything so there are still surprises each episode.

[@cassandramcbride7007]

alicent´s entrance is just a powerful scene. If we do not know the meaning of the green color, we still understand that Alicent abandoned Targaryen red color. We do understand that Alicent choose herself. Then the way she walks in the corridor, surrounded by people. She is this tiny girl, yet, she doesnt show any hesitation. She is frighted, but she doesnt hesitate to walk alone, showing that no more she will hear House Targaryen red color. When the green color is explain to us, we do understand that Alicent is not just making a stand of been loyal to her house, but she is declaring war and is ready to play the game. She is over Rhaenyra and doesnt care about Viserys or any other Targaryen. For now on, she only care about herself and her own. Its funny that Hightowers were the first ones to stand, when she passed by them. Like they were supporting her and getting ready to whatever would come. The way she nod her head to them, showing that she understands that they are supporting her, is just amazing! I just wish the scene was a little longer....

[@pendekarmando1096]

From what I've seen, I don't think Alicent would have poisoned the king (slowly or suddenly) because him dying was one of the worst things for her father because then he's stuck with a ruler that hates him

[@hadbetterdays]

Alicent's entrance in GREEN is chef's kiss.

[@lavendersunshine9648]

I saw someone point out about how hypocritical it is that Alicent is acting like this towards Rhaenyra after she secretly got Rhaenyra’s dad to fall in love with her hahaha

[@Angela-bm3lp]

How can Alicent expect Rhaenyra to trust her after that? I would never. And not just that Viserys fell for her but married her and made heirs specifically to take away Rhaenyra's position.

[@lavendersunshine9648]

@@Angela-bm3lp Exactly!!

[@GPA_Karting]

shout out for getting the edit done and released to us already! cheers guys from the UK!

[@LouieR.4682]

Episode 5 was one huge holy shit moment. This episode left me speechless.

[@hitrapperandartistdababy]

I completely lost it at 26:37 😂 The duality between Nikki and Steven

[@ladycrespo3207]

I just needed this reaction to feel better after that episode 🥹

[@masterdrstrangermasmas5427]

Me 2 loool

[@sethaasland5705]

yeah… allicent wearing the colors of her house, house hightower, ESPECIALLY at a valyrian wedding. the shade is real. that was her basically saying “this is where my loyalties lie.” they really know how to create a tense scene with something as simple as the color of a dress. brilliant. it also foreshadows future events as well

[@7heSlime]

It's kind of a nice detail that both Alicent and Otto are prone to beating around the bush.

[@thebeaverqueen2096]

"a Westerosi wedding without a death is considered a dull affair"

[@rolynik]

Allicent resisted her Father’s insistence on Aegon being pushed forward as rightful heir out of a loyalty to Raenyra. Allicent for so long had strived to repair their relationship after marrying Vyseris. Her defence of Raenyra over the alleged Daemon scandal essentially got her Father booted from being hand of the King, and left her isolated in a loveless marriage.. all because she trusted Raenyra! Christen’s confession left her feeling betrayed and a final realisation that she needs to stand on her own and start looking out for her own families future. Her growth arc from episode one has been remarkable!

[@ASageCalledQ]

why people don't get this is mind baffling.

[@Angela-bm3lp]

No repairing a relationship where you seduce your friend's father in order to take over the kingdom.

[@rolynik]

@@Angela-bm3lp and yet they had already reached a level of peace between them.. and a Targaryen would have still been on the throne in Aegon.

[@Angela-bm3lp]

@@rolynik A falsely gained Targaryan.

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

The king: "Wedding!" me: "I love weddings! Drinks all around!" the producers: _this is Game Of Thrones!_ me: "....oh."

[@kanthonyship511]

A wise man once said a wedding with less than 3 deaths is considered a dull affair

[@garethlawton5278]

Wouldn’t worry about hearing rains, quite a fair few years before that song gets written! 🤣

[@ryanwinn8031]

It was Viserys that gave her the tea. They say it specifically in the show more than once 👍

[@r.h.6249]

Laenor broke my heart in the end....i know he wasnt very much in the show till now but i liked him from what little we saw...he was so close to getting a happy life with his man and get married to the princess to keep his family happy and the same night where he stood to be happy, his man was killed in front of him...what was most heartbreaking was him sobbing and struggling to recite his vows to love and protect Rhaneyra while his loved one was just killed moments ago and his brain still scattered on the floor mere meters away..its so sad

[@itss_nattyj]

Same here. I’ve seen a few reactions to this episode and was shocked none of them spoke about those moments.

[@mking1982098]

hmm I interpret things quite differently. I think that Alicent had a lot of faith in Rhaenyra. She felt that they had a strong relationship/bond and never questioned whether her children would be safe during a transition of power. But after the incident in episode 4 she realized that Rhaenyra isn't being honest with her and that faith was broken, and now she realizes that her father may be right and that her children may be in danger. I also think that Alicent is a bit more traditional in her morals, and that Rhaenyras "affair" really disturbed her. I also have to say, I went into this show thinking of Alicent as the primary villian (having read Fire and Blood), but given that the show is meant to show what REALLY happened (vs. what the history books record, as is the case in Fire and Blood), I find myself feeling very bad for Alicent, as I find her and her position far more sympathetic than the history books go on to portray her. This of course could change as the show goes on, I guess we'll see.

[@CaptainPikeachu]

I think it’s also important to note that the show changed the ages of some of the characters, and thus this change in aging down Alicent makes her feel more innocent and more of a victim than an active instigator. The change with the ages shifts a lot of the power dynamics of the characters and how we view their relationships.

[@diannaa.62]

Cristin Cole had to have known Rhae didn’t love him like that. For her it was a sexual awakening. He had so much at stake that he took it as something more than it was. I dunno but that marriage proposal did not seem to come from feelings of love but guilt. He said he thought he’d amend what he did, breaking his vows and all by marrying her. Your pride and ego can be hurt without necessarily having loved someone. To me it just seems like the guy lacks so much self awareness.

[@amf0078]

It’s abit of both love and guilt.

[@diannaa.62]

@@amf0078 i’d argue it’s more guilt than “love.”

[@amf0078]

@@diannaa.62 the guilt is understandable though.

[@JayRockLA]

This episode got me finally fully invested back in the GOT universe again. I can't wait for Sundays/Mondays now

[@mrouschkateer]

Alicent's reaction was perfect. Rhaenyra didn't lie about Daemon, and since she didn't ask about Cole...well...

[@tashatrapeznikova596]

"If he is not talking, fucking hide" 😅 truest true

[@jacobvozzo2934]

The only lie Rhaenyra said to Alicent was she didn't touch Daemon. It's no reason to start a war. She never asked about Criston Cole. Plus, the King believed Otto because he punished Daemon for it. I feel like Alicent is done with the whole family more than just Rhaenyra.

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

It's more like she recent her cause she is getting away with things.

[@cmd7930]

Wrong She lied that she wanted to leave, she lied that she only spectated, she lied that daemon never touched her and she lied that she remained a maiden. she lied all this in front of a weirwood tree and on her mother's memory.

[@jacobvozzo2934]

@@cmd7930 she didn't sleep with Daemon they still had clothes on just had a fun night she is allowed to. She doesn't have to tell Alicent who she sleeps with. Alicent didn't ask her if she could comfort her own Father.

[@cmd7930]

@@jacobvozzo2934 I dunno, Rhaenyra's pants were on the ground. Also there are no fun nights for women in that medieval patriarchal world. Princesses cannot go to brothels. The king told Alicent to say nothing to Rhaenyra about the secret meetings.

[@abenthur7306]

@@cmd7930 and Alicent kept her purposeful manipulations of Rhaenyras father and their meetings a secret for 6 MONTHS. Give me a break dude. They both lied to each other.

[@Schteve59]

I don't understand how Ser Criston still had a head on his shoulders at the end. The Princess's bodyguard murders a lord at her engagement party and he walks free?

[@cheesepie72]

That surprised me too, I didn't think house velaryon would let that stand